(^42) | marieclaire.com.au
“I am the fifth of six girls, so I always
wore hand-me-downs. When you
grow up surrounded by old clothes,
you learn to love them. My love for
’50s femininity was forged watch-
ing old movies with my mum. I
became a weekend vintage dresser,
but really dived in 14 years ago
when my husband opened [Syd-
ney’s] Bodega restaurant and I wore
my looks out on the floor. I am also
very drawn to the era’s spectacular
architecture, music and car design.
I love ’50s rockabilly, it’s where
my heart belongs. Our home has
lots of furniture and knick-knacks
from the period and I drive my 1958
Holden FC, ‘Lizzie’ – she’s a beauty.
I appreciate a dress with history – it
feels special. When I started col-
lecting, I could find dresses for $5
at op shops, which dried up, or
treasures at ’50s fairs. But even now,
a $185 piece is still cheaper than
a decent contemporary dress, and
has stood the test of time. Today’s
disposable, fast fashion encourages
a bad ‘buy-and-toss’ mentality.
My older daughter loves dress-
ups and fashion statements, but I
also want to teach her perspective:
it’s nice to look pretty and wear a
dress, but it’s even better to be kind.”
SARAH DOYLE, 41,
RESTAURANT CO-OWNER
“I am very drawn
to the era’s spectacular
architecture, music
and car design”
’50s
sharon
(sharon)
#1